Altair is a bright star located in the constellation Aquila, which is Latin for "eagle." It is one of the closest stars to Earth, situated about 16.7 light-years away. Altair is notable for its rapid rotation, completing a full spin in just under 10 hours, which gives it an oblate shape. As a part of the Summer Triangle, along with Vega and Deneb, Altair is easily visible in the night sky during summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. It is classified as an A-type main-sequence star, which means it is hotter and more massive than our Sun.